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                                  EXHIBIT 99.1
                             LETTER TO SHAREHOLDERS



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Dear Shareholder:

         We are pleased to send you this Prospectus describing our Dividend
Reinvestment and Stock Purchase Plan (the "Plan"), which has recently been
amended. Through the Plan, you may automatically invest cash dividends that you
receive on your shares of Common Stock, no par value (the "Common Stock"), of
Emerald Financial Corp. (the "Company"), as well as optional cash payments made
by you under the Plan, in additional shares of Common Stock. The Company
reserves the right to suspend, modify or terminate the Plan at any time.

         Participants in the Plan enjoy the following benefits:

         o        You will pay no service charges or brokerage commissions for
                  shares of Common Stock purchased on your behalf under the
                  Plan.

         o        Your dollars will be invested in full and fractional shares to
                  three decimal places.

         o        Dividends are credited to your account on both full and
                  fractional shares.

         o        Your dividends will be invested quarterly and cash payments
                  will be invested monthly.

         o        Your recordkeeping will be simplified since you will receive a
                  statement each time there is activity in your account.

         o        The shares of Common Stock purchased on your behalf under the
                  Plan will be held in safekeeping until termination of your
                  participation in the Plan, or until you request that a
                  certificate be issued to you.

         o        You may terminate your participation in the Plan at any time.

         The following pages of the Prospectus provide complete details of the
Plan in simple question and answer form. We recommend that you review the
description of the Plan carefully and that you retain this Prospectus for future
reference.

         If you are not enrolled in the Plan but wish to do so, simply complete
the enclosed Authorization Card and return it in the enclosed postage-paid
envelope. You may enroll in dividend reinvestment only (partial or whole), in
optional cash payments only, or in both. If you are already enrolled in the
Plan, you need not take any action to continue your participation in the Plan.
If you do not participate in the Plan, you will continue to receive checks for
your dividends as they are declared and paid.

                                             Sincerely,



                                             /s/ Thomas P. Perciak
                                             Thomas P. Perciak
                                             President & Chief Executive Officer